Former FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley once wrote a blistering memo accusing the FBI of squandering a chance to unravel the September 11th plot. Just three weeks before 9-11, agents in Rowley’s office uncovered that Islamic extremist Zacarias Moussaoui had paid for lessons to fly a Boeing 747. They arrested him, but her superiors at FBI headquarters refused to let them seek a warrant to search his laptop computer, a move that may have changed the course of history. Her view from inside America’s war on terror has given her a unique perspective finding the balance between fighting terrorism effectively and maintaining civil liberties. "We saw a need for the Patriot Act after 9/11, some things needed to change. But, that doesn't mean it is now considered an inviolate, perfect law," she says. "Where is the pro-active nature now on protection of civil liberties, and putting those structures in place that will prevent a future abuse?"

John Perkins rose to stardom in the world of international finance by persuading Third World countries to take on large public works projects, which, he claims, not only enriched US corporations, but also put these countries in heavy debt, effectively turning them into American client states. "Many people in the United States still believe that most of our aid is altruistic. It isn't altruistic for the most part," he says. "It's done in the process of creating this empire." David Brancaccio talks to Perkins about economic empire building and its impact on the world view of America in the global marketplace. Perkins recent book, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, detailing his exploits, has been on THE NEW YORK TIMES best-seller list for 11 weeks.